in the pinnacles and some of the surrounding areas for about 4 hours. It was beautiful! I don't have as many pics as I would have liked because the camera batteries died. Its summertime here and it doesn't seem to get too hot and there is zero mugginess which makes it ideal for me cause I can enjoy the heat and breathe at the same time :) Being able to breathe properly makes hikes way more enjoyable. Matthew still kicked my butt on the trails though. He is a decade older than me and he smokes yet I still seem to have trouble keeping up with him when we hike!
So for those of you who care to read it, here's the Wikipedia entry:
The Putangirua Pinnacles -also known colloquially simply as The Pinnacles- as a geological formation are one of New Zealand's best examples of "badlands erosion"[1][2] and consist of a large number of earth pillars or Hoodoos[2] located at the head of a valley in the Aorangi Ranges. 7 to 9 million years ago when sea levels were much higher, the Aorangi ranges were an island and as this landmass was eroded over time, large alluvial fans formed on its southern shores.[1][2] Within a few million years however, sea levels rose again and this island was submerged also.[2] Since the Ice ages, sea levels have receded and the old alluvial fans have been exposed to the erosive forces of wind and water, which have weathered away the conglomerate. In some places this conglomerate is protected from erosion above by a cap of cemented silt or rock, resulting in the formation of spectacular Pinnacles, many of which have prominent fluting caused by rainwater running down their sides during major storms.[2] It is not known exactly how long the pinnacles have been forming but they are thought to be less than 125,000 years old with major erosion probably beginning 7000 years ago and accelerating in the last 1000 years with the deforestation of the area.[2]
Part of the Paths of the Dead sequence in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was filmed on location here,[3] as was the opening sequence of Braindead.
What beautiful photos! That not so hot but dry weather sounds absolutely heavenly to me, too. Everyone I've told that you moved to NZ immediately mentions Lord of the Rings. Must have been great for their tourism, heh!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, amazing natural beauty, and great pics. I like the details like the few wildflowers here and there. I was really interested in your information - the green funky text is great for a title, but I find it really hard to read for long paragraphs, but maybe that's just my eyes.
Keep it up! More stories and photos please! Auguri, bella, e tante belle cose!
Thanks for reading my blog! We have a 3 bedroom house if you ever want to visit :)
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